


black mambo

by lucigucci



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Androgyny, Bisexual Male Character, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Non-Binary Character, Gen, I'm not actually sure if there are any that apply...?, Other, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, but uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucigucci/pseuds/lucigucci
Summary: (black mambo by glass animals)of course the god of pandemonium is going to want to have a little fun once in a while... just, maybe not the kind of fun zag was expecting.(you have no idea how hard i had to keep myself from writing some really weird smut involving tentacles ok you're lucky)
Relationships: Chaos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	black mambo

The world is swirling streams of stars, eternal rivers of galaxies, entwining together in tumultuous harmony. Every so often, out of the darkness, a ruin of a time gone by bobs to the surface-- some rough-hewn cobblestone, some wooden, some snowwhite marble. It is one of these marble platforms that rises to the top to float along. It’s less of a controlled boat and more like a leaf caught in a current.

Zagreus, prince of Hell, climbs out of a hole in the floor of the marble, sputtering and groaning. He’s got blood smeared across his torso and arms. Shining red burns paint his hands. On his back, a weapon is strapped, looking far heavier than should be comfortable. “Blood and darkness, that hurt,” he hisses. As he hoists himself up, the shining green lantern tied to his belt goes dark, the light escaping to the infinite darkness below. Once he’s up he plucks it off and tosses it into the abyss. 

“Well, let’s have it,” he calls out. “I need your help.”

From behind one of the marble pillars, a shadow takes form, lengthens, solidifies. A pair of piercing violet eyes glow in the dark. “How strange,” they reply.

“What’s strange?”

The shadow approaches the prince. With each step, they seem to pull light from the world around them, molding a moonlight humanoid shape. A sharp golden crown halos above their head. Flowers, the color of Zagreus’ strange scarlet blood, bloom from within. “You called upon me, Son of Hades,” Chaos muses, scrutinizing Zagreus with their simultaneously inscrutable expression. “Usually, it is I who call upon you.”

Zagreus gives them a nervous smile. “Like I said, I need your help. I’m having trouble with Theseus and his pet bull again.”

“Ah, pompous Theseus. Yes, I am familiar with him.”

Zagreus takes a chance, and adds, “do you, uh… like him? I know a lot of my father’s court are fans of his.”

Chaos raises their eyebrows (?) before replying, “what do you think?”

“What do-- but I’m asking you!”

“Why do you wish to know what I think?”

Zagreus would be annoyed if Chaos wasn’t always like this. But, as it were, this is a common occurrence, so he just smiles. “Master Chaos, I care about you, so of course I care about what you think. Besides, you know about everything that goes on around here-- I bet you know all of his dark secrets.”

Chaos steeples their long fingers together over their chest. They seem to be deep in thought.

Since they aren’t speaking, Zagreus keeps on going. “Er, anyway, I didn’t mean to bother you with chatter. I just really need your favor right now, if that’s alright. Maybe something to help with these burns from that blasted hydra, or--”

“You care about me?” Chaos interrupts.

“Um.” Zagreus scratches the back of his neck and shuffles in place. Blood rushes to his pallid cheeks. “Yes, of course-- I just meant-- whew, it’s warm down here, eh? Warmer than usual?”

“Is this something to do with your many offerings of material pleasures to me, Son of Hades? I cannot give you anything in return. You realize this.”

“I do! You don’t have to do anything for me, Master Chaos, you really don’t, I don’t expect anything! You’ve done more than enough for me!”

Chaos takes a step closer. Zagreus is reminded of how short he is compared to the majority of the inhabitants of the Underworld-- especially this seven-foot tall hovering entity. He can feel the power radiating in undulating tendrils around him. The heat in his cheeks rivals the heat in his bare feet. It doesn’t help when, without warning, a careful crooked finger hooks under his chin and guides his gaze upward. “How curious,” Chaos tells him.

Zagreus is frozen, pinned like a butterfly behind glass. “Have I done something wrong?” he asks, hating how meek he sounds.

“Wrong? No, there is no right and wrong, and even if there is, I would be the last one to reprimand you for your morality. You… amuse me. Ages upon ages have passed since I have seen one who intrigues me as much as you.”

Is that good? That might be good. “Thank you,” he replies with what he hopes is a cheeky grin.

A cool thumb rests on his bottom lip, and he closes his mouth at once, shuddering. The touch is like icy fire coursing through his veins. He doesn’t dare to speak. “I confess,” Chaos continues, “you have instilled a kind of… hunger in me, that I do not understand, unable to be captured by words within my vocabulary. Some sort of affection… desire… wanting… perhaps you can help me define this unspeakable word, Son of Hades?”

Chaos… the entity of pandemonium… is flirting with him. This is flirting. Zagreus has done enough of it in his life to know. And, to his shock, it’s working. His voice comes out breathy and high-pitched. “F-feelings are hard, but, er, I’ll try!”

“Hard for you? Yet you are full of feeling. It bursts out of you.”

“I’m afraid that doesn’t mean I understand it.”

Chaos gives his lip a delicate stroke, sending another chill down his spine. “It clouds your judgement. It is fog to your logic. Am I correct?”

Zagreus doesn’t want to nod and displace his lips from Chaos’ tender touch, so he mumbles, “yeah, like that.”

“It is what compels you to Earth’s surface, among humans, despite your life of luxury in the Underworld. And this _feeling_ … what do you call it?”

He takes a few moments to think about it. He doesn’t want to disappoint with his answer. Chaos’ face is stony as ever, and for all he knows, he’s as good as dead already. “Feelings can’t be specified as one thing. They’re always changing, like the tide. So, er, maybe it’s best to leave it unsaid, and use actions instead.”

Chaos contemplates him. That cold hand trails along his jaw, almost cradling him, and he wants to lean into the touch, cling to that wrist and never let go. He clenches his fists at his sides to resist the impulse. “And this is why you fight ceaselessly for your place beside your mother,” Chaos answers. It takes a minute for Zagreus to answer in his current foggy position.

“Oh! Um, yeah, exactly!”

“So I must ask you; shall I, too, take action?” Chaos’ piercing eyes are still staring, statuesque, and yet… there’s something there, swirling in the depths, and Zagreus wants to catch it in his bare hands and tug it out and hold it to his chest. Their lips curl up at the corners. They’re smiling. That’s never happened before, ever. Zagreus thought they might not know how. 

His hands fly up from his sides to grasp at Chaos’ wrist to keep it next to his face. “Yes,” he whispers. “Please.”

“I know what you have come here for. I will give it to you.”

Zagreus is salivating, lips parted just so, waiting, waiting--

“I offer you a choice of three favors, Son of Hades. Choose wisely.” With their free hand, Chaos gestures in the air, three curses materializing out of the shadows.

Zagreus blinks. Oh. He releases Chaos’ hand, defeated, and heaves a sigh. “Is something wrong?” Chaos inquires. “You came to my home to ask me for my boon, did you not?”

“I… yeah, I… urgh. This one’ll do.” The prince plucks the curse in the center, wincing at the pain it sends through his arm.

“I wish you luck with Theseus and Asterius. Think of me as one of the crowd, cheering for their obliteration.”

“Thanks… thanks, Master Chaos… until next time...” Zagreus brushes past him to the portal back to Elysium. Without a backwards glance, he hops into the shimmering smoke. He swears he can hear musical laughter echoing in his ears but it’s probably just the twinkling stars muddling his senses.


End file.
